Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 2, 1924. 1,517,700

S. F. BORKEY REFRIGE RATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 24, 1924 HiliMlLji'liljili Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

STEPHEN F. BORKEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

REFRIGEBATING APPARKTUS.

- Application filed January 24, 1924. Serial No. 688,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN F. BORKEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being-had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to refri erating apparatus and relates more particu arly to apparatus for household refrigeration.

It is usual,'in artificial refrigeration, to provide a pipe or pipes within which the refrigerating medium circulates, absorbing heat from the medium surrounding said pipes, which medium is usually a liquid of low freezing point, as brine or asolution.

of alcohol. The present invention consists in the novel unitary relation of such a system of pipes to a common supply header, more particularly when said headeris further a boiling chamber for the refrigerating medium. Further, the invention consists in the articular arrangement of said system of F1 es within a tank containing a liquid 0 ow freezing point, and in the speclfic location upon said tank of the boiling chamber.

Said invention is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawlng, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view of the improved apparatus, partly in section, the plane of,

section being indicated by the line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same, taken upon line 22 of Figure 1.

In these views, the reference character. 1 designates a rectangular tank, formed preferably of sheet copper, and'receivmg a liquid of low freezing point, as, for example, a solution of alcohol: 2 and 3 are chambers opening into saidtank through one of the vertical walls thereof, spaced preferably one above the other, and serving to increase the surface area of the tank, thus promoting the absorption of heat b the liquid in the tank, and serving also, i deslred to receive foods or liquids to be cooled. On the tank 1 there is mounted a boiling chamber 4, preferably of c lindrical form. The lowermost portion o said chamber is of a trough or channel shape, as indicated at 5, this portion extending the full length of said chamher and depending into the tank 1 through the top thereof. A rigid sealed joint is formed between the top of the tank and said boiling chamber, as for example, by solderlng, designated at 6. The chamber 4' is a receiver for a refrigerant, usually a li uid of low boiling point, as for example, sulp ur dioxide. 7 designates the surface level of this liquid, and further designates the bottom level of a quantity of light oil, which floats upon the refrigerant. Upon said oil rides a ball float 8, which is secured to a stem 9, pivoted at 10, and controls a needle valve 11, which in turn controls a restricted inlet 12 for the refrigerant. Said inlet is arran ed preferably below the normal level of the refrigerant. 13- designates two sets of pipes which connect with.the trough 5 through op osite walls thereof, extending oppositely rom said trough in the upper portion of the tank 1, and downwardly at opposite sides of the chambers 2 and 3, right angle bends being formed between the opposite] and downwardly extending portions of sai pipes. Adjacent the bottom of said tank, each of said sets of pipes communicates with a horizontal header, such as is indicated at 14.

In the operation ofthe described apparatus, as long as the temperature of the liquid in the tank 1 is higher than the boiling point of the refrigerant in the chamber 4 and pipes 13, said refrigerant will continue to boil or gasify, bub ling up through said pipes and through the refrigerant and oil in the chamber 4, to the upper port portion of said chamber. The liquid level in the latter is lowered by this generation ofgas, and the float 8 consequently acts upon the valve 11 to open the same, admittin more of the liquid refri erant and restoring the normal level, at w ich the float closes the needle valve. An outlet 15 communicating" with the upper portion of the chamber 4 is adapted to deliver the gas therefrom to the usual compressor (not shown).

The described unit is of simple and compact construction, easily assembled, and highly eflicient in eflecting a transfer of heat from the liquid in the tank 1 to the refrigerating medium. A hi hly important feature of the invention is t e provision of the headers 14 connecting the lower ends of the pipes 13, said headers being of-a larger diameter than said pipes, and acting to 10-; cate a considerable body of the refrigerant adjacent the bottom of the tank, taking care of'the heat transferred to the liquidin the tank through the bottom of the latter. A further advantage of said headers lies in the provision which they make for a discharge of gas from the lower end of any pipe 13 to the adjacent pipes, in case some obstruction becomes lodged in the firstmentioned "pipe. Said headers 14 also tend to maintain uniformity of temperature of the refrigerant in the several pipes 13 by permitting a circulation between the lower ends thereof. I

What I claim is: q L 1. A refrigerant receiving unit comprising a' boiling chamber having an. integral trough portion of reduced-width depending therefrom, two sets ofspaoed pipes communicating with said trough portion, oppositely laterally extending therefrom and downwardly extending in spaced relation,

and headers respectively connecting the lower ends of said pipes.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a tank for receiving a liquid to be cooled, a boiling chamber for a refrigerant sur mounting said tank and having a trough portion depending within said tank, two sets of pipes communicating with said trough portion and oppositely laterally extending therefrom, and downwardly extending in spaced relation, and headers respec-\ tively connecting the lower ends of said sets of pipes.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a tank for receiving a liquid to be cooled, said tank having an air chamber therein intermediate of its height, a boiling chamber for a refrigerant surmounting said tank, two sets of pipes communicating with the lower portion of said boiling chamber and depending within said tank at opposite sides of said air chamber, and headers 'respec* tively connecting the pipes of said sets within the lower portion of said tank.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a tank for receiving a liquid to be'cooled,

a boiling chamber for a refrigerant surmounting said tank, two sets of pipes communicating with said boiling chamber and oppositely laterally extending therefrom within said tank and having portions extending downwardly in spaced relation, and headers respectively connecting the lower ends of said sets of pipes. V

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprisin a tank for receiving a liquid to be cool a boiling chamber for a refrigerant surmounting said tank and having a trough portion depending within said tank, a set of pipes communicating with said trou h portion and having portions downwar ly extending withinsaid tank, and a header connecting the lower ends of said pipes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

STEPHEN F. BOB-KEY. 

